Homeschooled Teen March-april-2007

Homeschooled Teen is both a magazine and an online forum for girls 12 and up. A place where girls can share their stories, poems, and thoughts. It's written by homeschooled girls for homeschooled girls.

By Mandi S-K, age 13 So this month, the magazine came out late. :( Sorry about that, hopefully it won't happen again. I'm proud to give you all.... another fun filled issue of Homeschooled Teen! On another note, here are the current stats on the forum: Total members: 110 Total topics: 409 Total number of posts: 16,644 Yay!! That makes me happy ^_^ Anyways, here are the contents of this issue:

The interesting corner: Panic! At the disco – a concert review by Nati. Our lovely Miss Nati – first ever Homeschooled Teen Member of the Month – got the wonderful opportunity to see the band Panic! At the disco live, and sent in a review about it. Trinnia's story – she sent in a few sentences about a broken hip.

Jokes: Julia's jokes – Julia sent in several jokes that all go together ^.^

Debate club: The debate is about video games. Are they a stupid waste of time or do you see some sort of educational values in them?

Recipes: Here's how to make a cool rainbow cake!

Stories: Molly's untitled story – Molly sent in the first few chapters of a very well written story. Lily's story – She has been sending in a little bit of her story to every issue of the magazine, so here is the newest part. A day on the movie set – A story by Meaghan.

Pictures: Kat's pictures – Kat sent in 3 photographs Keavy's photo – Keavy sent in a photo of her ^_^ Julia's Homeschooled Teen drawing – Julia drew an awesome picture of several of the members from the Homeschooled Teen forums. Nice job, Julia!

Lily's computer art – Lily sent in a cool picture she drew on the computer Julia's rat puppy – This is the cutest photograph ever!! Alison's drawing – Alison drew a picture of a girl. Nice work!

Homeschooled Teen Helpline: The all new Homeschooled Teen Helpline is run by Keavy. Three people went to Keavy for advice.

Book review: Artemis Fowl – A book review by Rachel. An abundance of Katherine's – A book review by Nati. That sums up the March/April issue, remember to check out the forums and submit anything you'd like to the May/June issue! June is when I first created the Homeschooled Teen forums, and the July/August issue will be Homeschooled Teen's official one year anniversary! ANOTHER NOTE FOR YOU ALL – There is a new email address for the magazine! [email protected]

Interesting articles, facts…anything interesting ;-)

Panic! At the Disco The ever popular Nati – also known as “Natiness” - that we all know and love on the forums got the opportunity to see Panic! At the disco.... LIVE. Here is the lovely review she sent in ;) On December 5th, 2006, in section 116, row 24, seats 7 and 8, at the HP Pavillion… nati and Meggie witnessed the most fabulously, lavishly, KAPOWingly, amazingly amazing, awesomely awesome, outrageously, so-coolio-youwish-you-were-there-o------event! That's right darlings…we went to go see Panic! At the Disco, in person, onstage, whatever you wish to call it….without you. Dreadfully sorry to inform you of this news…not really. We said that to sound polite, cuz we roll mad deep yo…you wish you did too, I know… Anyways…so first there were the opening acts, which were Jack's Mannequin and Cobra Starship. Bloc Party (yes I spelled that right) was originally supposed to play instead of Cobra Starship, but Matt's (Bloc Party's lead singer) lung collapsed. Nati didn't mind, 'cause she lurves Cobra Starship like peanut butter loves jelly…and that's a heck of a lot. Nati was also really really really hoping to see Tommy Lee, because he sometimes plays the drums for Jack's Mannequin…but he didn't that time…and nati was a very sad emo panda indeed…for a little while. After the opening acts, Panic! At the Disco waltzed onstage, followed by clowns and their personal harem of indecently dressed women. Then we squealed our heads off. Now to be honest, the sound quality wasn't the best and was a little messed up for all the

bands [the HP Pavillion is not the best place for a concert, mind you], but they still sounded grrrrrreat! At one part we liked, they alllll came onstage with drums, and they got their drum drum drumming on. Ryan Ross and someone of less importance so I don't remember their name at the moment [dodges angry fan girl attacks] were doing their drumming on trash cans…which I found artistically amusing for some reason. Later, Brendon (Urie Furie!) had this weird urge to tell the audience about this dream he had. In the dream, suddenly the flowers had all withered away and the clouds had turned black and were looming over them…which he said, was "a lot like marriage"…and led to their song "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" [You've all seen the video for that, right? So it makes sense]. There were two screens…one on each side of the stage, to provide view for those less fortunate and with horrible seats. Pretty much the only thing the camera's showed was close ups on Brendon and Ryan's makeup clad faces…but what else do you need? [Kidding…sort of.] So after three hours of WHEEE's, KAPOWS [I don't think I'm even going to explain what the KAPOWS were about], and of course, screaming…we were hoarse, deaf, and TWITTERPATED. Thank you's…well of course we want to

thank everyone in the world, just because we can and we love them, but we should be more specific, and thank the people who actually had something to do with the concert…so first of all, we'd like to thank Panic! At the Disco, for being so AWESOME. We also thank the HP Pavillion

for hosting the concert, all the other fans, especially the ones sitting next to nati… groove on guys, nati loves you! Lastly we want to give a big big bear hug thank you to Margy and Dan, who drove us to San Jose and back and still managed to smile…WE LOVE YOU!!!

Trinnia sent this short letter in. Hi my name is Alexx, and in 2003 I broke my hip the recovery very long and wherever I went it was very difficult to get around,

The corners were too small; the handicap stalls were too small. And at the same time my abusive father and caring mother were getting divorced. Life was difficult, but if at age 9 I made it you can too just keep thinking someone somewhere has or had it worse. So no matter how bad things get I know that I can make it.

Here's a series of jokes sent in by Julia C. Age 14! *Q. How do you put a Giraffe in the refrigerator?* /A. Open the door, put the giraffe in, close the door. /*Q. How do you put an elephant in the refrigerator? */A. Open the door, take the giraffe out, put the elephant in, close the door. /*Q. There was a meeting for all the animals, but one didn't come. Which? */A. The elephant. It was in the refrigerator. /*Q. How do you cross a river that is home to hundreds of ferocious alligators?* /A. Swim across. All the alligators are at the meeting.

This month's debate is “Are video games just a stupid waste of time or do you see some educational values in them?” Julia C. Age 14

Gwen Ravinski, age 12

Video games have some educational value. In most games, you need to make money in some way, so that you are able to "buy" stuff. So you learn about saving money, instead of spending it all at once. There are some online games such as RuneScape that also help you in social ways. My brother has learned a lot about life from that game. He has learned that there are people who will cheat you, any chance they get. He has learned patience. He has learned how to save money, and how to make money. Some video games are very educational. But there are some that are not. Personally, I don't see the point of "Racing" games. They seem to be all about competition, and that teaches you to be competitive (not a good thing). Even though some video games are fun and educational, kids shouldn't be playing them all day.

Video games are just a dumb waste of time!!! Kids should be reading or doing something more productive then just sitting there playing video games all day! Seriously! Then the next thing they know they are adults and their childhood was wasted in front of a television screen!_________________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ ______________________

Next month's debate: Dating. At what age should kids start to date? Can it even be called “dating” when you're only 13 and 14 years old? What are your views on this issue?

Rainbow Angel Cake Sent in anonymously Here's what you will need to make it: • white cake batter divided into three bowls (you can make the batter from a store-bought cake mix or from scratch) • food coloring • one can of vanilla frosting • Bundt pan • three bowls • large spoon Here's what you have to do: 1. Pre-heat your oven according to the cake recipe on the box of the cake mix. 2. Grease your Bundt pan. 3. Using 6-8 drops of food coloring, color each bowl of cake batter a different color. You could make one blue, one yellow, and one red. 4. Pour the red batter into the bottom of the Bundt pan. 5. Then spoon the yellow batter on top of the red batter so that they don't mix. 6. Then spoon the blue on top of the yellow. Smooth out the blue batter, being very careful not to mix the different layers together. 7. Bake the cake according to the directions. 8. Be sure to wear oven mitts so you don't burn yourself when you put the cake in and out of the oven. 9. Once the cake has cooled, cut it in half and set it on its side so that you have two rainbows. 10. You can color the vanilla frosting the same way you colored the cake batter. 11. Then frost the cake so it looks like a rainbow on the outside. 12. To see the rainbow on the inside, just slice the cake.

Molly submitted a story. Here's what she says about it: “The story is untitled. I started writing it in January and finished 3 chapters in 3 nights. After that I haven't written much until a few days ago. It has no significance to my everyday life. It was a totally strange idea that came to me from nowhere.”

Chapter I "Talia Necatsi. Necatsi? I don't know what it's supposed to mean. My mother probably made it up, she did things like that." Talia was sitting at a bus stop, talking to the homeless man who was always there. She had made it a goal to reach out to one person she thought needed it a month. March was Randy. He had a wife and two little kids who moved to Texas to live with her family when they lost the house. The kids were named Randy Jr. and Beatrice, and the wife Marleen. Randy lead a more or less respectable life. Not for a "hobo" but for anyone. Sure he didn't earn his money, and there were the binges of heavy drinking. But who could really blame him for that? Besides Talia knew all about drinking. Talia had been having conversations with Randy for almost a month, when out of the blue he says he'd like to know something about her. Talia wasn't big on talking about her past but she didn't see what harm talking to Randy would do. Besides it was pretty near unavoidable, she saw him every Sunday through Wednesday, waiting for the bus. "I work for the accounting firm down on Third street." "Then why are you always here? That bus isn't going

to take you to Third." Randy asked. His voice was scruffy, tested by age and the elements. "My shrink is up this way." Talia answered hesitantly. Her voice lacked the character Randy's had. It was high and damp from underuse, and tended to crack at the worst possible moment. "Ah, so you ain't perfect either?" Talia strained to try to achieve a care-free giggle, but it came out throaty and nasle, and sounded more like she'd just swallowed a pig. "Never said I was." She said trying to remain a state of peace and calm. "You got kids?" Randy started picking at the freckles on his tough dark skin, his eyes still twinkling up at her. Talia loved his eyes more than anything about him. They were a sweet, dark blue-green that faded to hazel right at the center. And they shined more than anything. At times she would find herself staring at them, entranced, and telling Randy anything he asked. He seemed to have that power over her because she pittied him, and hated herself for it. So always felt like she ought to be apologizing for something. "No," she said softly watching the sunlight dance in his eyes, now fastened to one freckle on his right leg. "A man?"

"Yeah." She said apologetically, patting the thick, matted, black hair on his head. Randy straightened up on his perch at the edge of the curb, his legs huddled beneath him. "That's not what I meant, and you know it." His back was completely vertical, now. His beard, sort of shaking in embarrassment. Casting his eyes right into her. His face was stern but she knew he wasn't mad, and smiled at him. Then the bus came. Talia smiled. They had finally gotten rid of all that graffiti. Today was seeming to turn into a good day. Talia waved at Randy and walked up the steps. The New York bus smelled like old cheese and dog urine. But it almost always smelled like that. Today, however, there was a new smell. A smell that made Talia cringe and she didn't know why. It was heavy perfume that seemed oddly, scarily familiar to Talia. She stood there thinking for a minute, she decided she would rather not know what the smell was. She picked the frontmost unoccupied seat. Concentrating on that smell, memorizing it. What is that? It didn't make sense. The only person she knew who ever wore perfume was her mother. Her mother. Talia froze, then let out a silent scream and slammed her hand down on her seat. Her mother was in the back of this bus. Talia remembered once when her mother decided to teach her to make perfume. She put things in a big pot and stirred it. Talia couldn't manage it, and she ended up with a bruise on the back of her neck. Talia rubbed the back of her neck at the thought. It was gone, it had been gone for years and years. Once her mother had said "Never buy perfume. It's overpriced, and not strong enough." There was no doubt her mother was

here. Talia found herself reaching upward for the pullstring, all she wanted to do at this moment was run. She brought her arm down. She didn't have time to wait for another bus, and if there was one person Talia needed at this moment it was her therapist. Or Norbert. She had met Norbert after drinking for a few hours. She was coming out of the bar, too groggy to walk. She fell down the few stairs leading down to the outside world, and hit the pavement, face first. Norbert saw her fall, and called an ambulance. He followed her to the emergency room because she didn't seem to have anyone else. Talia woke to be told she had suffered a mild concussion, and shouldn't do much for the next few days. The fall had also caused a broken nose, a deep cut on her forehead and two broken bones in her right hand. Norbert told her what had happened, and Talia drowsy and using not the best judgement asked him out on the spot. He must have really felt bad for her at that moment, because her accepted. That wasn't the only time Norbert had saved her life. The next time her caught her hideously drunk he began dragging her to all kinds of AA meetings, and therapy sessions, anything he could think of that might help. He was the most wonderful person Talia had ever met. This was her stop. Sweet relief. She climbed out of the bus triumphantly. Counting each step down as another victory. She began walking the half mile from the bus stop to her therapist's office. The smell followed her. Did it rub off on her? She brought her arm to her nose and whiffed as discretely as she could. It smelled like Talia. Was she being follow? Why was her mother

even in New York? What business did she have coming this way? Talia felt the great temptation to look and be sure. But if there was any hope her mother didn't notice her and she looked, all hope would be gone. Then she contemplated running for the hills. That made more sense. Her mother was never as fast as her. But if she missed this appointment she would have to endure three days of terror before she could come in again. Talia wasn't sure she could handle that. She kept watching. The second Talia saw the building she sped up to her top speed-walk. She darted in, and ran for the elevator. Pushing the "3" rapidly she saw her mother walk up to the front desk. One of the most terrifying sights Talia had ever seen. Through the closing elevator doors she saw the receptionist bend down and get something. What was it? Chapter II An hour and a half, and many tears later Talia thought is best to take the stairs down. She was feeling much better, but didn't want to take any chances. She opened the door to the lobby and poked her, still tear stained face out. Her mother was nowhere in sight. Talia couldn't stop the sigh of relief from erupting from her. The receptionist turned toward her. She quickly walked to the door and peeked through the window. She saw Norbert stairing out his car window back at her. She opened the door and walked over to him. "I'll only be a minute." She told him "I have to figure something out." "You want me to come with you?" She almost didn't hear him, she was busy tracing his jaw-line with her eyes. He has a sexy jaw. "What? Oh... No, I'll be fine. I

mean... You can come if you want." Norbert opened the door and met her lips with a hello kiss. Talia was a tall woman, which she always assumed she had gotten from her father. She had never met him, so it would be impossible to know, but her mother wasn't tall. She wasn't short either, not really special in any way Talia could think of. Norbert was a little below average hight for a 32 year old man. He was something like half an inch shorter than her. Talia stroked Norbert's pale, freckled cheek and kissed him again. "What is it you need to figure out, anyway?" "Oh, it's nothing." Talia replied blithely "I'll tell you all about it later." She took his arm marching them back through the door and up to the front desk. The receptionist gave a welcoming smile, and chimed "Can I help you?" "Yes," Talia said authoritatively "A woman came in here and hour and a half ago. She had a big hat, and really heavy perfume. Could you tell me what she asked you about?" "I'm sorry miss, but I can't." She seemed genuinely sorry, but she was supposed to feel what the client wanted her to feel, so you could never really tell. "Well I think it may have been about me." The woman looked her up and down, trying to decide how to handle this. She paused. "Your name?" "Talia Necatsi." Talia said relieved. She looked up at Norbert, then back at the receptionist. She had told her something. No one makes a face like that for no reason, not even receptionists. "What did you give her?" "Your general information: Phone number, home address, marital status." She looked concerned.

"What? Aren't there rules? You can't just--" Talia's voice was getting shrill, she didn't know how to handle this. Her mother could come by her house at any time. Norbert put his hand on her hip and kissed the side of her forehead. "She-- Her name matched yours-- She had identification. She had been paying for your sessions. It all seemed harmless." The receptionist looked so close to tears. She was probably new and didn't really know how everything worked yet. "I didn't tell her anything you've been talking to Susan about. I don't know it." "She's never paid for--" then she remembered. Her first credit card. She had got it at age 17. Registered it under her mother's name. Talia pushed the thought out of her mind. She couldn't count how many cuts and bruises she got over that thing. Talia forced her voice back to a calm tone. "Did you tell her where I work?" "No." "Good." At least one place was safe. Talia couldn't afford to miss work. Both Norbert and herself were slipping more and more into debt. She didn't hadn't paid off all of her college debts. It had been two years since she left. But those years were mostly filled will buying and consuming alcohol. "Well. Thank you."

Talia stood there thinking. If this had happened a few months ago she would have gone straight home and slit open both of her wrists, or swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills. But she couldn't do that, she refused to, she didn't even want to. She had Norbert, now, and she wouldn't let him be sad over her. Talia climbed into the passenger seat of Norbert's car, and slumped down as far as she could. Norbert looked at her for a minute. "You mom?" "Yes." "It's ok, baby. I'll be here with you every second." Talia was beginning to form a plan. She would sleep as close to Norbert, when she wakes up she will follow him where ever he goes. They will eat and do any morning activities necessary. Norbert will drive her to work half an hour early so he has time to go to work, as well. He will pick her up and take her to go see Susan. Susan will know just what to do. If she doesn't... "Norbert, you can protect me, right?" "Talia, don't you fret, everything is going to turn out fine." Norbert drew out the word "everything" and his voice quivered a little. What if everything wasn't fine? Something had to be done. But now they just had to drive.

Here is the continuation of the story that Lily C. Age 15 has had published in the past 2 issues – please refer to the past issues to see the beginning of the story. She put her hand in her pocket, unconsciously running her finger over the page he had written on; running it over the phone number and the small words that read "I remember."

When she arrived back at her house, she rushed straight to the telephone in the kitchen, not even bothering to take off her shoes. somehow, she knew that the boy would be on the other end already, waiting for her to call. Yanking her heavy outer

clothes off and collapsing into one of the small kitchen's ladderback chairs, she punched in his number. She realized that her hands were shaking; and wondered for the hundredth time if she were simply having some weird nervous breakdown. She could feel her heart racing, and was glad that no one was home to hear her voice break when she had to say hello again. The dial tone stopped; there was a small click in the ear piece. Her mouth was so dry that she almost couldn't speak. She considered hanging the phone up right then and there. "Hello" She almost whispered. "Why did you insist on calling me." She recognized the voice; it was the right person. His voice was as flat and expressionless on the phone as it was in person, she thought. "It wasn't that I didn't remember you, you know," he said slowly, after a long pause full of phone static. "I just wanted to make sure that you remembered me for real." the girl's heart almost stopped. She licked her lips and began fiddling with the buttons of her shirt nervously. "Well...actually...I called

you because...I'm not quite sure...that I do remember you," she said, blushing. no one can actually see me. I don't have to be embarrassed, she scolded herself, rubbing her face furiously. "I mean, it isn't that I don't remember you...quite...I mean --" click. The dial tone was back. He had hung up on her. She sighed. How was she going to find out the answers to all this if he wouldn't talk to her? The truth was, she didn't know why she remembered this boy. She had just been walking down the street and suddenly felt that she had something she needed to tell him, or ask him...but she didn't know what. she had been hoping that he would be able to tell her, but now he had hung up on her. This is crazy. I probably was daydreaming and imagined that I had something to ask him. She got up and put the phone back on the wall. I'm just going to forget all this. But it was late that night, as she lay tossing and turning and unable to sleep, that she realized that she was completely unable to forget that boy and whatever it was that she couldn't remember how to say.

A Day on a Movie Set By Meaghan S. Age 12. Two summers ago, I got the chance of a lifetime. And, if you keep reading this after that awful introduction, you'll find out what my 'chance of a lifetime' was. I had just pulled up to a 4-H meeting, or rather, my mom had. And I got out, and saw this guy talking to my 4-H leader, Laura. Everyone who was at the meeting already seemed all anxious/excited, like we normally are at rabbit shows and such. Speaking of which, I had just won another rabbit at a raffle at a show. I was a bit over burdened with rabbits. It wasn't fun. Laura beckons me over to this picnic table she's got set up for rabbit grooming, introduces me to the guy she was talking to, Noah. He was the 'Master Prop Organizer' or something like that, he was in

charge of finding a large, live, white rabbit to mach the large, white, dead rabbit he already had for his movie. He had come to Laura, and all the rabbit breeders in the state, asking them for use of their rabbits, if any fit the part. Somehow, he had been having problems finding a rabbit that fit, so when he asked Laura, she thought of my rabbit, Ruby, who was large, white and very alive. It just so happened that he had come on a Thursday afternoon, barely before the start of our 4-H meeting. Noah took pictures of my rabbit, and talked to my mom, who was supposed to have been gone by then. They exchanged phone numbers, he left, my mom left (not together, mind you), and we continued our meeting in anxious anticipation. A few days later, we got a call, telling us Ruby had indeed gotten the part, giving us directions to the set, and the date and time we would be needed. This date and time changed several times, we got there, pleasantly surprised to have a fair amount of air conditioned trailer space, though we had to share it with the makeup artist for the movie. Surprisingly, there were large amounts of junk food present on the set. That's actually a bit of an understatement; there were obscene amounts of junk food on set. An entire trailer was devoted to its use. Picture a carnival, now picture the games where you have to break something, throw something, or pop something. There are loads of prizes pinned up against the wall. That's exactly what this looked like, only the 'shooting wall' was a refrigerator, and the prizes were fatty and edible. Much of our time was spent waiting, either in tents or our trailer. We met the actor who's character was my rabbit's "owner", and at the time, we had no idea who he was. If it had been a year later, and I had been more in tune with Disney Channel, I may have been a bit more shocked to be meeting him. Though many people do not know who he is, they know where he's been. Since he was featured as the leading role in the Disney flick, Sky High. Michael Angarano was his name. At that time, however, all we knew of him was his name, and we had to ask the rest of the cast and crew what he had been in, so as not to come off completely ignorant of his film career. After meeting him, we all walked up (Michael, my sister, my mom and I) to the set for our particular scene. Where we "blocked" the scene, which is a fancy way of saying rehearse the scene before actually taping it. After that, we spent about an hour and a half waiting under a tent, then we walked back up to our trailer, to take a break, before we were called back down to shoot the scene. It took about seven takes to get it right. I wasn't allowed to stay on set for the first five, so between takes I was called to run up and down a hill, separating the set from the "observation area". After the fifth take, I was called up the hill; to stay they're as a permanent resident, for the next to takes. I did meet the other main (male) cast members. Which included Francis Capra, best known for his Disney debut in the movie Kazaam, though he's considerably taller, better teeth and a few tattoos; Tom Guiry

(though he introduced himself as Tommy), who was in the movie Mystic River, as well as the Sandlot, the very old version; and, of course, Michael Angarano. Pictures were taken, words were exchanged, and all together, it was a night I'll not easily forget.

Got a photo? Got a drawing?

The following three pictures were sent in by Kat, age 14:

Here's a picture sent in by Keavy M. Age 14:

"This is a drawing I did of some of our popular forum members! I’m sorry if you aren’t on here, I’m thinking of doing another one next month, with different members. (The problem is I don’t know a lot of you, and I don’t know your personality, so I’m not sure how to draw you.)" ~Julia C Age 14

1. Mandi (Admin) 2. Alana (LeafNinja) 3. Nati (Nati) 4. Kat (Kat-The Wanna-be Ninga Neko)

5. Julia (Raizamin) 6. Molly (XenCen) 7. Meaghan (Scholar_chic) 8. Lily (Yuri-kun) 9. Angel (blueangel) 10. Emily (emilypotter) 11. Keavy (Javaa) 12. (Dobby_knits) 13. Rebecca (rebeccaweasley)

Here is a picture sent in by Lily C. Age 15:

Here is a picture of some of Julia's rat puppies!

Aren't they sweet??

Here is a drawing sent in by Alison, age 12.

The newest edition to Homeschooled Teen, the Homeschooled Teen helpline is run by Keavy – who is also known as "Javaa" on the forums. Got any problems? Keavy can help you out! As of now, send all of your questions to Keavy to the normal Homeschooled Teen email address – [email protected]. They will be forwarded to her email address. Like she states on the message board, though, she says "I'll be creating a new account that everyone on HST can access with personal messages which will make it even more private to send your letters.. "

Dear Keavy, I really need to lose weight, I've been gaining so much weight since the new year..I have no idea what I should do about it. Overeater Anonymous Dear Anonymous, You have the same problem that millions of other Americans, which you've already addressed is over eating. Trust me, I know exactly what its like, because I do it too..However, there are a few plans, tips and tricks than can really help you lose the weight and keep it off..First, I would suggest taking out an exercise or diet/health book out from the library. If you would prefer, an excellent health magazine is Prevention, which is chock full of diet tips, easy meals with low fat and tons of easy workouts in each issue. If you'd rather try out a diet, there are plenty of them out there, but the most trusted name would be Weight Watchers. I tried it myself, and it does work-but you need to keep at it! All the best-Keavy Dear Keavy, Lately my sister has been really upset and depressed. I don't know why, but I just want her to be okay and not sad anymore..Do you have any advice? Sad Sibling

Dear Sibling, Thats a tough situation to be in, and I don't think many siblings haven't experienced it. Its hard to know what to do or even what to say while your upset sister goes through a rough patch. One of the easiest things to do is to stay out of their way. Every teen needs privacy, especially in this stage, where she may be going through hormonal changes that may give her mood swings. If you just want to help her out, then be kind to her-if she fights, don't fight back.. Good Luck-Keavy Dear Keavy, I really want to take a dance class in the city but my parents can't afford it right now. I'm dying to do it, but I just don't know how to get the money. Can you help? Payless Dear Payless, Getting a job as a teen is getting harder than it used to be, but there are still places out there that will hire you. Try to get a simple job, maybe dog-walking or helping a neighbor clean their attic or something that won't require a lot of driving for your parents. I hope you can get to the class!-Keavy

Artemis Fowl By Rachel, age 12. One of my all time favorite books is Artemis Fowl. It is one of the lesser-known books but that doesn’t make any less good. Artemis is a genius, a millionaire, and he is just twelve years old. The trouble starts when he tries to steal from the fairy people. He kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the

LEPrecon and holds her for ransom. But these aren’t your bedtime story fairies. These fairies are armed and they’re dangerous. I promise that after you get through the first chapter it gets better. There are five books in the series so far they are: Artemis Fowl, The Arctic Incident, The Eternity Code, The Opal Deception, and The Lost Colony.

An Abundance of Katherine’s By Nati A. Age 15 I read the book An Abundance of Katherine’s, by John Green, who is now one of my favorite authors, which is saying a lot, seeing as how I’m so picky when it comes to books (Seriously…so…WOAH). Colin Singleton is a washed up child prodigy. He loves anagrams, and can anagram almost any word in the dictionary. He also loves girls named Katherine. Not spelled with a C or a Y…K-A-T-H-E-R-IN-E. But when it comes to Katherine’s, Colin has the bad luck of always getting dumped by them…. nineteen times, to be exact….by Katherine the 5th who that thought boys were gross. Katherine the 10th just wanted to be friends. Katherine the 18th dumped him in an e-mail, and Katherine the 19th broke his heart on the day of the their high school graduation. Tired of watching him mope around, his best friend, Hassan, a lazy, Judge Judy loving Arabic, decides that him and Colin are going on a road trip. With no destination in mind, they find their way to Gutshot,

Tennessee, when they see a sign telling them they can see the dead Austro-Hungarian Archduke… which is what they go do. Afterwards, when the locals find out that Colin and Hassan have no place to go, they persuade them to stay, particularly Lindsey Lee Wells and her mother, Hollis. Colin and Hassan decide to accept their offer and stay in their home. Hollis owns a factory in Gutshot that makes something I probably shouldn’t say, and she gives them temporary jobs and pays them well. All his life, Colin has wanted to have his very own EUREKA moment. When he makes his own amazing discovery that people will remember. While in Gutshot, he comes up with an idea of how to make a mathematical formula that will predict the end results of any relationship, and he uses the nineteen Katherine’s that dumped him to test it. Even with math being one of his weaker subjects, Colin works hard on the formula, and refuses to give up. I was thinking it would have a predictable ending, but it didn’t, which I really liked. Some things turned out much more differently than I expected, which made reading it all the more fun.

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